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Sun
A sun is a bright burning sphere which can be seen from the sky of many human-inhabited worlds. Suns hold great meaning, both for practical life-giving benefits such as heat and light, and symbolic purpose. Suns of various worlds The Sun (Forgotten Realms) of the world of , occasionally called Sol by some sages, is a fiery ball estimated to be between 100,000 miles and 1,000,000 miles in diameter. The planet of Toril orbits its sun at a distance of 200 million miles. Its year is 365 days. No known visitor from Toril has ever visited the sun, as its great heat overpowers even magic items which grant fire immunity. Liga (World of Greyhawk) Liga is the sun of the world of Oerth. It is an oblate spheroid some 75,000 miles in diameter, and has a deep golden glow. The inhabitants of Oerth often simply refer to it as "the sun". Unlike most solar systems, which orbit their sun, Liga orbits its planet Oerth. Liga maintains a circular orbit at a distance of 100 million miles from its planet. Its year is precisely 364 days. Liga experiences no solar flares. It is inhabited by fire creatures, including salamanders, fire elementals and efreet. The Sun (Dragonlance) The Sun is a fiery ball some 100 million miles from the planet of Krynn. It is between 100,000 and 1,000,000 miles in diameter. It is extremely hot, even by the standards of other worlds' suns, gives off white-hot solar flares. The world of Krynn orbits its sun with a year of 360 days. The Sun (Earth) The human-inhabited world of Earth orbits a sun simply known as Sun. It is a fiery orb of approximately 100,000 to 1,000,000 miles in diameter. The people of Earth once used sundials to tell the time of day. Earth uses a solar calendar with a year of 365 days. Other worlds Some worlds possess multiple suns. Such worlds may have continuoual daytime, and nights may be rare, frightening events. In others, the suns rise and set together in the sky. Some of these worlds are barren deserts. Others, particularly where one or both suns are further away, form lush jungles. Practical uses Mundane uses In most worlds, sunlight is valued by surface-dwelling creatures as a vital source of light and heat. The people of many worlds use the solar year as the basis of their calendar. Certain creatures, such as the brass dragon, are particularly fond of sunlight. Supernatural effects Sunlight is harmful to many dangerous creatures. Vampires, for example, are severely injured by exposure to sunlight. Creatures which are weakened in the presence of sunlight include the shadow dragon, drider, and duergar. The presence of daylight helps to protect surface-dwellers from such creatures, who tend to live underground. Some cultures believe that the sun's position in the sky when one is born can affect the gifts they receive in live. Those born at dawn are said to have a hopeful spirit and strong will; those born when the sun is high have a strong presence and physical toughness; and those born at dusk have a love of learning. Solar eclipses, an event occurring around once per year in any given world, occur whenever a world's moon passes in front of the sun for several minutes. Such events are considered bad omens, and those who worship sun deities find their power weakened during the moon's transition. Rare solar conjunctions, where multiple suns align, can cause supernatural effects on the world below, such as healing injuries, destroying plants or empowering magic. Religious and symbolic significance People in many worlds worship deities represented by the sun. Examples include the creator goddess Taiia, Pelor of Oerth, of , and Odur of the Norse pantheon. A religion known as the Order of the Eternal Light worships the sun itself as a deity. The lion, hawk, and gold dragon are said to be favored by the sun, and their presence is considered a good omen. The sun has symbolic meaning in many cultures. It often represents light, life, knowledge, wisdom, authority, and hope. In cultures with a single sun and moon, the sun is often considered to represent masculinity, with the moon representing femininity. The gods of the Norse pantheon once promised the sun and moon to a giant who offered to build the wall around Asgard. Temples of Freya, wife of the sun god Odur, are always built facing sunset so that her husband can return to her in the evening. References Category:Worlds